March 2024: Camanchaca becomes the first fishing, salmon and shellfish farming company to be awarded energy efficiency management certification

This initiative was framed by the Energy Efficiency Law and is based on objectives for each Division that include commitments to save 13,540,148 kWh of energy by December 2024, which is equivalent to the annual energy consumed by 1,700 houses.

Camanchaca implemented its investments, then initiated the audit to certify its Energy Efficiency Management System (EEMS) and 18 months later became the first fishing, salmon and shellfish farming company in Chile to achieve ISO 50,001 certification for all its Divisions.

The process was supported by Efizity, which is a Colbún subsidiary, and the certification audit was performed by Aenor. The audit covered several stages, such as documentation, field visits, interviews and other stages, where information was verified, and plant operations and improvement plan implementations were reviewed.

Ricardo García Holtz, CEO of Camanchaca, commented that “certification is just the tip of the iceberg of a transformative commitment to become more energy efficient, as we are motivated by the dual objectives of lowering our carbon emissions and reducing our costs. Early in 2019, we set ourselves the challenge at Salmones Camanchaca to become Carbon Neutral by 2025, which will contribute to Chile’s commitment to become Carbon Neutral by 2050. We are very conscious of the key role that the ocean will play in feeding the world, where Camanchaca is a global player in industrial fishing and aquaculture.”

Mr. García added that this commitment implied that the value of sustainability as a pillar of the company’s development should permeate the Company’s culture from the Tarapacá to Aysén regions. “We are proud to make progress with our employee’s commitment to caring for our planet and giving greater legitimacy to what we do. This is not only about saving energy, but it is an event that defines our sustainable character,” confirmed Mr. Garcia .

Camanchaca took significant steps between 2019 and 2023. For example, it commissioned new boilers to produce energy using liquefied gas and natural gas (LPG and NG) at its processing plants in Tomé, Rauco and Coronel, which reduced CO₂ emissions by almost 6,000 tons and was equivalent to removing almost 1,500 cars from circulation, or planting 12,000 trees. More recently, it connected the Ensenada Río Blanco hydroelectric plant to the Petrohué hatchery, which was a significant event in the carbon neutrality strategy of Salmones Camanchaca. It also signed an agreement with Colbún in 2020 to guarantee the availability of fully renewable energy to all its Divisions.

Camanchaca implemented its Energy Sustainability Policy during 2023, which forms part of its Energy Management System. This policy establishes a culture of energy use that involves implementing universal practices that promote saving energy, rationally using it and improving energy usage performance, while ensuring that it comes from clean sources. And ensuring the allocation of sufficient human, financial and material resources to achieve these objectives.

One of the principal challenges for 2024 is to start measuring data online, in order to track energy management and promptly introduce corrective measures. Only 27 companies have achieved this certification in Chile, according to the website of the Energy Sustainability Agency, www.guiaiso50001.cl.

Discover more about our Energy Sustainability Policy here: https://www.camanchaca.cl/wp-content/uploads/Politica-de-Sostenibilidad-Energetica-2022.pdf